Current News

The U.S. Department of Education has named 20 school districts and nonprofits as winners of the third round of the Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition. A total of $150 million was awarded, with eight "validation" awards up to $15 million and 12 "development" awards up to $3 million.

In a recent speech to educators, Oregon Chief Education Officer Rudy Crew stressed that confidence in the classroom and building relationships with students are keys to success. "I want the model in Oregon classrooms to focus on confidence. Confidence plus effort," he said. "When they say they can't do algebra or that they don't like math, you tell them you believe they can."

A new Michigan State University study published in Educational Researcher supports the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM), which will be implemented in 46 states in 2014. Researchers William Schmidt and Richard Houang report that states with previous standards most similar to CCSSM scored better on national math tests in 2009.

The Iowa State Board of Education has approved new rules that will require prospective teachers -- beginning with those graduating in spring 2013 -- to score in the 25th percentile on two national tests in order to obtain their teaching certificates. Only elementary school teachers are presently required to take two exams, but the new rules expand the requirement to all teachers.

Guam Public School System Superintendent Jon Fernandez says the agency has been given a three-year grant that will enable it to promote the Common Core standards at the school level. The $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education will support administrator and teacher leadership with regard to Common Core implementation, and Fernandez says the funds will enable the agency to overcome local financial challenges and focus on outcomes.

Georgia Superintendent of Schools John Barge has praised the state for helping improve student test scores over the past year. Barge said the state has partnered with the Black Caucus to set up educational summits throughout the state to share the positive news.

The CCSSO Annual Policy Forum will be held in Savannah, Georgia, November 15-17.

The California State Board of Education has adopted new English Language Development Standards for English learners that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards. The standards, created by the California Department of Education, aim to help English learners develop important knowledge and skills.

DQC will release the results from the eigth annual Data for Action analysis on November 15, 2012. Data for Action is an analysis of the states' progress implementing the 10 State Actions to Ensure Effective Data Use.

According to the 2012 Digital States Survey, West Virginia and five other states earned top honors in technology practices of state governments, along with Michigan and Utah. West Virginia was highlighted for its statewide telecom network for higher education and state agencies; school district savings on wiring and equipment; efficiency in e-rate mandated filtering of K-12 content; a statewide K-12 data system for scheduling, teacher evaluation, payroll, and other functions; and the quality of its online courses.